Kona fatality update 03-28-06

MEDIA RELEASE UPDATE

Police traffic investigators have charged a 22 year-old Kona woman on a variety of charges stemming from a fatal traffic collision on Monday (March 27, 2006) on the Queen Kaahumanu Highway, 857 feet north of Poni Place in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

Dana-Nicole Ellisor of a Kealakekua address has been arrested and charged with Manslaughter; Negligent Homicide in the First Degree; 2 counts of Driving Under the Influence of an Intoxicant; Driving Left of the Centerline and Negligent Injury.

Responding to a 4:49 a.m. call (March 27, 2006), Kona patrol officers determined that a 2006 Ford four-door sedan was traveling south on the Queen Kaahumanu Highway when the driver crossed the centerline and collided with a 2004 Honda 4-door sedan traveling north. After the collision, the Ford was struck by a 1999 Plymouth four-door sedan traveling north.

The victim in this case Cristina GALUTIRA, 66, who was a passenger in the Honda sedan and was pronounced dead at 7:03 a.m. at the Kona Community Hospital.

The driver of the Honda, a 69-year-old Kailua-Kona man and husband of the victim was transported to the Kona Community Hospital by Fire Rescue personnel where he was underwent surgery.

The driver of the Plymouth, a 61-year-old Kailua-Kona man was treated and released.

The second DUI charge stems from Ellisor being arrested on February 16, 2006 at 3:35 a.m. for Driving Under the Influence of an Intoxicant after she was involved in a traffic collision on Kuakini Highway, 25 feet north of Walua Road. Ellisor was traveling south on Kuakini Highway when she ran off the right shoulder of the road, struck a rock wall, became airborne and struck a building and overturned.

In both DUI cases, blood was drawn from Ellisor at the Kona Community Hospital and in both cases her blood alcohol content was well above the legal standard of .08%.

Traffic investigators are also looking for any witnesses to this crash and a female witness who was operating a white pick-up truck who stopped at the scene. If anyone has any information you are asked to call Officer Sharlotte Bird of the Traffic Enforcement Unit at 326-4646, extension 229.

Ellisor was being held at the Kealakehe Police Station cellblock in lieu of $8,775.00 bail.